Gingerbread Train

Today Mom finally broke out the gingerbread train kit that she had set aside over a year ago, just waiting until the perfect day to do such a wonderfully crafty craft. She had been telling us about it for days. Finally, it was the day! We were pumped! She made us wait until after breakfast. The suspense was killing us. She showed us the box. It looked awesome. She made us wait even longer...in the living room...while she slowly and methodically unwrapped all of the candy and cookies. We couldn't wait any longer....we acted like "spies" and stole some candy while we waited. Then Mom said it was a go. So we sat and stared at the wonderful, colorful, fun, delicious looking candy (not sneaking a bite, mind you!) until she had assembled the train. It was so cool. So we ate, er, decorated it with candy. Okay, I admit it...we cared nothing at all about decorating that dumb train. All we were interested in was eating all of that candy, and then the entire train! Well, we ate plenty. But we had to save some to stick on the train to fool Mom into thinking we were crafty. And she wouldn't let us eat the train even though we begged and pleaded immediately after the last (third) piece of candy was placed.

It did turn out pretty cool. Mom definately had more fun with it than we did, though. Personally, I preferred the sword fight with the vacuum monster that was cleaning up after us...now that was fun!

-Jakers

Nicholas is here!!!

Well, it has been an eventful few weeks. I found out that I really like turkey...Jacob got to play with some real deer antlers...Krinkles is back...Dad won a special award...oh yeah, and Nicholas was born!!! We were so very excited when Mom told us he was on the way...even though our bedtime book time was cut short. Bummer, but we got to spend the night with Meme and Papa, so it was all good. Mom was surprised that I was actually a little more excited about Papa coming over than Nicholas being born. But Jacob set me straight by screaming "Nicholas is coming!", and jumping around like a crazy cat. So I joined in too. Nicholas is great. He doesn't do much though. Mom thinks he is a good baby. I know this because she said yes when Jacob asked if Nicholas had been obeying her. But then again she thinks he doesn't like having his head and face touched. She keeps telling me not to touch his face and head, but come on, there is no resisting that fuzzy little head and tiny little face...I just gotta swipe it, and tap it, and kind of very gently hit across the side of it, and smush around on the cheeks of it...you get the picture. I think Mom is wrong. Nicholas loves it. It makes him make all of these crazy twisted faces. Hilarious! It's our thing.

Also we had a rockin' thanksgiving. Got to see all the cousins in Sherwood and Sheridan. And the food! Oh the food!...Gotcha! Ha! You actually thought I cared about that? The food was pretty lame by my standards. Everyone else seemed to be making themselves sick by eating so much. But really...I ate already this year, so I'm good. Just give me a half a bite of turkey and a sliver of pie.

Now it's on to Christmas. Krinkles is in the house! And you know what that means...candy for breakfast EVERY morning! And I've kind of figured out that he doesn't really even care if I've been "good". Seems I get the goodies anyway. Don't tell Mom about that though.

That's all for now. I'll post some pictures and stuff later.

-Nosers

NOTES FROM MOM:
Noah telling me what he will ask Santa for in his letter: "I want a hammer. Hammers are not dangerous. I want a hammer that is so beautiful and hammery to help me build things."

First let me say to Jacob, dude, just because you're dressed like a cowboy doesn't mean you can't be cool. C'mon, noone is buying that sharp shooter stance and crooked cowboy grin. Okay, maybe Mom is...but really? I'll admit, I cannot wait to start pre-K so I can do all this cool stuff like dressing up for homecoming week. Mom had better let me be in Mrs. Beth's class next year!

Now for Halloween and birthday stuff:

Needless to say, Mom's attempt to "minimize" and "simplify" the whole birthday/halloween thing this year was a complete joke. She planned a "simple" party at home for Jacob's 5th. If you know Mom, I think you know how that turned out. At least she dressed the part for the "monster" party. I'm pretty sure she loves Jacob enough to go out of her way to get a ridiculous poison ivy rash on her face just in time for her whole head to swell out of control so that she'd look like a monster for his birthday party. I can't beleive we don't have any pictures to publish here. It was truly her best effort yet. I mean, the horrified look on people's faces as they quickly turned away from her...priceless! Can't wait to see what she comes up with for my party! Anyway, the halloween/birthday festivities, of course, lasted about 2 weeks. Don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining. I mean there was a LOT of cake and candy involved here. Jacob was way excited about the party, but even more excited to invite each guest inside the house and up to his room and playroom. He was very hospitable...a little more so than Mom and Dad had planned on though. I'm pretty sure Dad got into a serious sword and gun fight with 2 of the guests while trying to guard the front door. Mom just told everyone to basically run right in and break whatever you'd like. Anyway, the party was a hit. All the kids had fun, and Jacob ended up turning 5!

Onto the next celebration:

I'm pretty sure Mom secretly wants to be a preschool teacher because she is way too impressed with some of the crafts he comes home with. For example, this spider hat Jacob made at school...hence the theme of our next celebration! Mom decided she and I would make one for me and we could surprise Daddy by wearing them when he got home from work. Boy was he surprised, too! We looked awesome! And they were so much fun to wear that even Mom wore mine for the dinner time dance party. That's right, I said dance party. Mom had also decided that we should listen to our halloween CD during dinner, which naturally led to an impromtu dance party in the middle of dinner. Jacob and I take after Daddy, so we are great dancers. Mom on the other hand...let's just say it is a good thing there is not video to post of that!

Carving our jack-o-lantern:

We were so excited to do this! Ever since Mom mentioned it, we had been begging and begging for it! It was time, and now Jacob insisted that during this activity, he should be General Grevious, Mom would be Princess Leah, and I could be Anakin Skywalker. Mom tried to talk him out of this but I really liked the idea too...seemed perfectly halloweenish to both of us. So she went with it. Jacob was very specific about what he wanted the jack-o-lantern to look like, so he decided to draw the face onto the pumpkin himself. This resulted in him scribbling all over it with a pencil, and then somehow moving on to wanting the entire face to consist of a big letter J. I couldn't have cared less what it looked like. I was just interested in one thing...the knife! After Jacob's nonsense and my many attempts to swipe the knife, mom finally got fed up and Jacob and I moved along to playing Star Wars in the yard. For the next 30 minutes Mom carefully cut, emptied the guts, carved the face and perfected jack just according to Jacob's specifications...while we played Star Wars. When she finished, Jacob insisted that "we" carve another. Mom made it clear (maybe in a not so nice tone) that "we" were quite finished! Jack turned out great though, don't you think?

Papa took us on a fishing trip to the White River to catch some trout! I love to go fishing with Papa, but this was a whole different ballgame. I don't know who was more excited about it...Mom or...Mom. Holy cow, folks! She was so pumped to go. And she pumped me up about it too. She had been telling us all week how much fun we were going to have. What she didn't tell us so much about was how different the boat was than the one at the lake. Noah was especially surprised that we were not allowed to run around on this one. And he definately felt that he was perfectly capable of doing so while the boat was motoring. A few other things Mom didn't fill us in on: the amazingly awesome hotel that we were staying in! Dude, it had joining rooms with chairs next to the beds, a kitchen, and even a screened in back porch! And as if that wasn't the coolest thing you could ever imagine, there was a playground right outside the door...complete with other kids to play with. Talk about paradise! There was also, get ready for this...bar soap!!! That's right, I said bar soap. It is soap that is hard, in the shape of a rectangle. I know, I couldn't believe it either. Mom had to explain it to me over and over. Finally after playing with it for about ten minutes, I really got it. Coolest thing ever. When are they gonna bring that stuff to Little Rock? We are so behind the times. Oh, and the other thing about the fishing trip that had not been shared with us was how you get to eat unlimited cookies and candy. All. Day. Long. Yes!

Papa helped us catch lots of rainbow trout! Noah really enjoyed touching the fish. And the corn. Then dumping the corn in the floor to play with it. I really enjoyed catching all those green trout too, with my trusty Buzz Lightyear fishing rod. Okay, they are not real fish...I was pretending. Just go with it, okay?

We fished and fished and when we came back to the hotel, we only had one room. Some "housekeeping lady" had taken over the other room! It was horrible! I was devastated! How could she? What gives her the right? Mom tried to calm me down, but it was for sure the worst thing that has ever happened to me in my life. But eventually, I came to terms with it and we finished the trip on a happy note. Oh...and the Hogs won!!! So you know it was a good day for Dad!

Here are some pictures of our trip.

Morning Routine

Okay, I know this is not gonna last. That little Nicholas is gonna come soon and pull the rug out from under me. But for the time being, I'd say I've got it made. I've got this Mama wrapped around my big toe. To put it mildly, I am not a morning person. When Mom got tired of fighting with me to get me ready in the mornings, she finally clued in that I am...watch out, this is a shocker...JUST LIKE HER! Grumpy, grumpy, grumpy...in need of my morning cup of joe before I can do anything at all. So she started our new morning routine. Breakfast in bed with her while my clothes are warming in the dryer. We get to snuggle and enjoy our coffee/juice and bagels together...just the two of us...not in a hurry for anything. Aaahhh! This makes for a much nicer morning. Then she dresses me in my nicely warmed clothes, and all is well with the world. Until she tells me to brush my teeth, anyway!

-Jakers

(For lack of a more creative title) BACK TO SCHOOL

Well, as much as I tried to convince Mom last year that school is fine, it's just not for me...she insists that I go back again. Well, alright. If I must go back then I will go back in style. At least as much style as my private school dress code will allow. Mom took me shopping for the coolest, plain, Walmart/Target brand polo type shirts and plain khaki and navy shorts you have ever seen. I mean...I look sharp! I even got to pick a new backpack. Lucky for me, teacher said last year's Spidey backpack would not fly because it didn't have 2 zippers. Come on Mom...it's a matter of $15...max! Anyway, searching on the endless wall of backpacks at Walmart, it hit me. It called to me. It was the PERFECT backpack. It was BLUE (my favorite color)! After Mom tried to push these tricked-out, trendy, 6D-ish looking Spiderman and Star Wars numbers on me, asking way too many times if I was sure about my choice...she finally gave in and bought me my small, generic, BLUE backpack. (She seemed a bit too thrilled about my choice when she checked the price.)
First day of school came, and I was ready. I looked awesome and felt awesome. Mom tortured us with pictures. Dad even came to see me off. First glance in the room...I'm thinking I'll just go back home. But then I saw Avery walking to my table (she's really pretty) and thought maybe it would be fine after all. Then I said my goodbye's. Then Mom said her goodbye's...again...and again...and again. I thought she'd never leave! When Mom picked me up and asked how my first day was, I told her, "PreK-4 is even better that PreK-3!" And man is it ever! We are not the "babies" of the playground anymore. I am an upper classman...I rule the Preschool...I am FOUR!
Second week: Okay, enough of this getting up early and rushing to school just to learn something new. I already know plenty. I tried telling Mom all sorts of things to get out of going...I'm just too sleepy, I didn't get good rest last night. I don't even like pizza, okay I like it but not in the mood for it today. If you're sick you don't go to school, right? -My tummy hurts. School is boring. We don't really so much "learn", we play. We don't get to have fun, we have to sit and listen. We didn't do anything today.... None of this works, folks. I'm still having to go. But I have come up with something that is SURE to work. When Mom walks me to the door, I plant myself in the corner and look up at her with big, teary eyes and say, "I love you Mommy. I'm going to miss you." When she tries to talk, I just hold up one finger and say it all again. You wouldn't believe the results! She's nearly in tears and I just know that next time she is gonna scoop me up and take me home for some ice cream and a day of Disney movies. I'm telling you kids, if you haven't tried this tactic, you should. It works! I figure I have 2 maybe 3 more days of this, then it's smooth sailing at home. That is, unless Dad catches on. Then I'm in trouble. Oh, note for you kids trying this...it does not, I repeat, does not work at all with Dad. He's just not buying it.
3rd week: Got my wish...I'm missing school. Played the sick card. Except I'm really sick...and it really stinks. And the rest of my family is sick...and they really stink. I think I'm ready to go back to school.
Gotta go get well. Later,
Jakers

A message from Mom...

Blogging kind of seems like a waste of time...reading other's blogs seems like a waste of time...I seem to love to waste time. After not blogging since the spring, my cousin sent me a link to a blog from a gal who's blog makes me feel like a horrible, no good, rotten, lazy person. I LOVED it! God blessed me with some quiet time to myself tonight. I have been blessed with a lot of that lately as my belly and heartburn and worry about any and everything have grown over the months. I like to complain about it, but maybe I should view it as a blessing. I'm always wanting time to myself to...just sit and think. So I used about 45 minutes of tonight's blessing to read this girl's blog...and blubber. Yes, it made me feel like a bad parent. Yes, it made me feel ungrateful. Yes, it made me feel lazy and unproductive. Yep, it made me feel like I have the creativity of a brick. But somehow, it made me feel good. I liked how she documented her life with her family, her thoughts about beans and candles (weird) and how she finds God and his lessons for her in unlikely places. And so, I have decided once again that blogging is NOT a waste of time. And maybe even reading blogs from other people that I don't even know or have any connection with is sometimes not a waste of time. I've said it folks (or at least Mom and Dad, who are probably the only 2 people who ever check this)...the blog is back! Should I be using this time of blessing to do something productive (like laundry or organization)...to try harder to get some sleep...to try to catch the "reading bug"...to catch up on some Bible study? YEP! But, I shall blog so I can remember my family and my thoughts and my blessings at this stage of my life. So there!

Sorry it has been so long since we've posted.
Don't have much today...just one funny little nugget that I thought was blog worthy. Mainly because it made me laugh so hard I just didn't ever want to forget it!

At the dinner table today:
Jacob: Sometimes I forget whose house this is when I'm inside.
Noah: Sometimes I pee and poop.
(Both very matter of fact and equally bizarre statements!)

Silver Dollar City!!!

For Thanksgiving, Mimi and Papa took us on a vacation to Silver Dollar City! It was magical! I made a gigantic smore...even got to toast my own marshmallows. Mom took me on the "Fire in the Hole" ride. She thought it would be such fun for me....really. Can you guess if I liked it? Ding, ding, ding! Right-a-roony....I DID NOT! It was terribly scary...lots of darkness, fire, shooting and yelling, and falling down a mountain. I think she's trying to scar me for life. So needless to say, I was not super excited about riding any more rides for the day. But once I settled down about it, I had a lot of fun riding the butterfly over and over. I was even brave enough to ride the teacups and the frog! Even Noah rode the frog and the butterfly! He LOVED it! There were lights all over the place when it got dark. It was so cool! And the parade was wonderful! Gingerbread men, Frosty, and even Santa Clause were in it. Santa looked right at Noah and said, "I'll be coming to YOUR house in 26 days!" Can you believe that! Wish we had pictures of Noah's face while he was watching the parade...mouth wide open and eyes as big as saucers! The highlight of the trip for me, though, was the Frosty the Snowman show. There was the REAL Frosty, and he REALLY came to life and sang songs with all the kids! I could hardly believe he was real, but Mom kept assuring me he was! Mom even bought me a Frosty the Snowman toy at the Christmas store. I'm still having fun with it. I can't wait until it snows here so we can build a snowman and play with Frosty at home!

It was a fantastic vacation to remember forever! Thank you Mimi and Papa!!!!

-Jakers